DOHA: Former championsAl Gharafa edged pastUmm Salal 4-2 in a penaltyshoot-outfollowing a 1-1 tie after thrilling football from both the teams in their Emir Cup clash. Al Gharafa will play Al Sadd in the quarterfinals. Al Sailiya advanced tothe next stage with a 2-1 victory over Al Wakrah at Al Arabi Stadium on Thursdaynight. The other pre-quarterfinal saw Al Ahli entering the next stage with an impressive 3-2 win over Al Khor. Ahmad Sufian Abu Nora was the star as Al Kharaitiyat overcame Al Arabi in apenalty shoot-out to enter the quarter-finals of the Emir Cup at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Thursday. The 25-year-old Qatari blocked two attempts from the opposition to secure a stunning 4-2 win in tie-breakerafter the score was tied 2-2 in full time. Al Kharaitiyat revealed their intentions of advancing in the prestigious tournament right from the beginning and took thel ead in the first minute of the matchwith Jarallah Al Mari executing a fine move successfully. Butthe lead didn’t last for long as Al Arabi levelled the score-line just after nine minutes, following a fine display of accuracy by Yousuf Ahmed Ali who brought his side back into the match with a timely goal. The teams went into the breather with a 1-1 score-line. Al Kharaitiyatand Al Arabi looked cautious in the secondsession and exchanged a few attacking forays with both the sides focusing more on the defense. However, Hassan Abdel Fattah stunned Al Arabi defense with a slick shot in the 81st minute as Al Kharaitiyat regained lead. Seasoned striker Paulinho lived up to expectations and brought Al Arabi on level terms, just three minutes after Fattah’s goal. The last few minutes were intense but both the teams avoided any damage to march into the shoot-outs. Al Kharaitiyat will take on Qatar Stars League champions Al Rayyan in the quarter-finals on May 8.